


Clocks

by amoleofmonsters



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 09:14:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amoleofmonsters/pseuds/amoleofmonsters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No matter how hard Nico tries, he can't forget.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clocks

**Author's Note:**

> I got Mark of Athena feels and wrote this.  
> I'm sorry in advance for my terrible porn.

Nico doesn’t remember when it started, but he is no longer able to sleep properly at night. Most nights, he finds himself turning for hours on end until he gives up in favor of some fresh air. On nights that sleep does find him, he is ripped away from his slumber, his body shaking as he restrains himself from crying.

Nights in Hades’ Underworld are asphyxiating. He knows that the opening to Tartarus is looming in the distance and, while its completely irrational, he fears being sucked back in. It has been years since the incident and he shouldn’t feel this way anymore, but panic and anxiety constantly bubble up and wrap themselves around him, trapping him in their embrace. 

Being in the mortal world puts him at ease slightly, but it has its own complications. Nico suspects that he has some sort of problem and should probably talk to someone about it, but he wonders if he’s even allowed to. Everyone has long moved on, has long gotten any sort of help, and yet he still has the horrors cackling in the back of his mind. He’s supposed to be the dreaded Son of Hades, but the thought that anyone could possibly fear him feels like some sort of parody. 

Nico often finds himself surrounded, the screams and screeches of Gaea’s minions encasing him. He’s backed into a corner, swinging violently and randomly, desperate to harm his attackers. He can barley see what’s in front of him, but he knows they’re there, a shrieking, mocking hoard. Within seconds, they’re upon him. His sword is ripped from his hands and they’re clawing and ripping and shredding and he’s never felt such pure agony in his life. It’s white, hot and sheering and he’s begging for them to stop.

Like every other night, Nico is pulled out of his nightmare and bolts up into a sitting position, gasping. His heart is racing and he can feel tears tickling the corners of his eyes. He wills himself to calm down and slowly, he does. Turning to his left, he looks to see if he’s woken his bedmate, but Percy is still gallivanting in dreamland, his features a blanket of calm. 

Nico knows that he can’t talk to Percy. Percy was down there, too, and knows exactly what Nico saw, but he’s fine. Sure, he was just as affected at first, but it hasn’t worried him in years. He got help and he got over it. Part of Nico wants to blame Percy for everything, but he isn’t ten and irrational anymore. Besides, even if Percy were to blame, one look and Nico would forgive him. 

The clock on the dresser reads 3:57 a.m. Nico turns to get out of bed when he feels a slight pull on his wrist. It’s weak and pitiful compared to the sheer force it could have, but it gets Nico’s attention. He turns to look at Percy who’s sleep-glazed; the side of his head is pressed into the pillow and his hair is a disheveled halo. Nico wonders if he’ll ever get tired of that sight. “Where’re you goin’?” asks Percy, his voice thick with dreamland.

“I’m going to get some fresh air,” answers Nico, proud his own voice betrayed little of his emotional state.

“In New York in the middle of the night?” questions Percy. His grip on Nico’s wrist tightens, but it’s still weak at best and Nico knows he could easily dispel it. 

“I’ll be fine.” 

Percy sits up and moves to hug Nico from behind. He presses his face into Nico’s shoulder and moves close. Nico is encased in Percy and he snuggles into his boyfriend’s skin, greedy for warmth. “Please stay. I know something’s wrong,” mumbles Percy, his lips vibrating against Nico’s shoulder. 

Nico feels like crying and wonders, not for the first time, why Percy is with him. He turns around and presses his lips to Percy’s mouth, hungry and desperate and trying with all his might to prove that he is perfectly fine. Nico can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in love with Percy Jackson, but he knows that Percy’s feelings for him are fresh. They could disappear just as quickly as they came and if Nico talked about Tartarus, it would give Percy all the more reason to walk away. 

Percy kisses back, blissful sleep still on his tongue, but quickly grows to match Nico’s passion. Nico is dragged into Percy’s lap and the younger boy begins peppering Percy’s face, neck, and chest with kisses. His kisses turn into light bites, desperate to mark and remark what is already fading. If enough evidence is present, Nico might finally believe that Percy is his.

He feels Percy’s clothed dick against his own and realizes that they’re both hard. They kiss again and Nico gasps out, “I want you to fuck me.” It comes out garbled against Percy’s lips, but it’s obvious that he gets the message. 

Percy leans back and grabs the lube from the bedside table. It’s still there from when they fucked a few hours back. Percy pools some on his hand and turns back around as Nico is shimming out of his boxers. They shift into a more comfortable position and Percy pushes a finger into Nico; they’re both pleased to find that it goes in with minimal effort. The younger demigod is still stretched from before. 

Nico pulls Percy closer for another kiss, soft moans pushing past his lips. Percy’s fingers are moving inside of him, foreign and wonderful all at once. Percy, after about half a minute, pulls back and Nico can’t help the slight whine. A condom is fished out of the bedside table and Percy removes his own boxers to slide it on and reapply the lube. 

Nico can’t help but gasp when Percy finally slides into him. There’s nothing quite like the feeling and Nico knows he’ll never have enough of it. He can feel Percy inside him, pulsating and warm. Percy slides out and then slams back in, over and over again, like some fantastic mantra. His body is on fire and his entire world is Percy Percy Percy. Nico can’t think of anything but Percy’s hands, fingers, lips, cock as they slide over him, leaving a trail of fire behind. When Percy reaches down to tug on Nico’s shaft, Nico gasps and then bits his arm to stay quite. There is no need to wake the entire floor. 

Percy’s movements start to get erratic. A few moments later, Percy is biting his shoulder and shuddering into him, his breathing hard and labored. When he’s finished, Percy takes a moment to collect himself and pulls out. An empty feeling washes over Nico and he can’t help but subconsciously reach for his boyfriend. Percy quickly disposes the condom and returns to Nico, eyes clouded with post-orgasm bliss, but determination is boiling below. Nico’s cock is encased between Percy’s lips and euphoria shrouds him. The sight alone thrusts Nico over the edge, the sensation erupting beneath his pelvis. 

Nothing in the world could compare to Percy.

Nico feels Percy pull him close and kiss his cheek, his lips stained. Nico looks him in the eyes expecting contentment, but Percy’s exhilaration is gone, a worried expression having taken its place. He still wants to talk. “There’s something bothering you.” It isn’t a question because Percy knows Nico far too well. 

Nico knows he’s being immature, but he doesn’t answer and turns away. Percy has the greenest eyes, a sea green that Nico has drowned in one too many times, and he can’t look at them. 

Then, Nico realizes that he can’t keep Percy in the dark forever. The older boy has trekked the Earth for less. He has to say something. He owes Percy that much. Nico moves to open his mouth, but the words still end up getting stuck in his throat, a thick bolus refusing to be dislodged. He’s been tap dancing around this issue for far too long, but he fears disappointment too much. Nico is the worst kind of coward.

In the end, it’s Percy who speaks first. He slides up out of the bed and slips on a pair of jeans that might be Nico’s. “I’m going to the bathroom.” 

Percy disappears and Nico curls up into himself. He hears the shower turn on and the thought that Percy might be giving up appears. If he keeps this up, his worst fear will come true and Percy will walk away from him. It doesn’t matter that Nico never mentioned Tartarus; Percy is going to leave anyway. 

Nico pulls himself out of bed and slips into the bathroom after the Son of Poseidon. The linoleum is cold under his feet, but he can’t back out now. He perches himself on top of the toilet seat lid and tries not to think about how its even colder than the floor. He can’t see Percy, but he’s sure that Percy is aware that Nico has walked in. It’s now or never. Nico looks at his hands and takes a deep breath. 

Nico finds that once he starts, he can’t stop until the end.

“I don’t- No… I’m sorry. No, I guess that’s not right either. I know I should have told you this a long time ago, but… I can’t sleep. I guess you’ve figured that out by now. Well, it's because of Tartarus. I still think about it. A lot, actually. And it doesn’t let me sleep. I don’t know how many times I’ve had nightmares about it, but I don’t remember the last time I’ve slept well. You help a lot, especially the sex. The sex really helps, actually, but not for very long. I close my eyes and I’m back there again. It’s been years and I can’t get it out of my head. I’m sorry I’m so fucked up. Everyone has moved on, but I’m still thinking about Tartarus.” 

He feels a hand on his shoulder and he looks up to see Percy leaning over him, soaking wet. A drop of water drips from Percy’s hair onto Nico’s nose. Nico moves to wipe it away, but then he is pulled into an embrace and such an idea is forgotten.

“I’m sorry, I had no idea.” 

Percy weaves a hand through Nico’s hair and tightens his embrace. 

“I should have known.”

He presses a kiss to Nico’s temple.

“I couldn’t even tell that you were upset over that.”

A kiss is pressed to Nico’s cheek. 

“I’m the worst boyfriend in the world.”

Nico leans back to look Percy in the eyes. They’re small, endless oceans and Nico falls all over again. He wonders if he’ll ever stop being enamored with Percy. He doubts it. 

The clock on the wall reads 5:24 a.m.


End file.
